Critical Habitat Thresholds for Effective Pollinator Conservation in Agricultural Landscapes

Authors

Gabriella A. Bishop, Wageningen University
David Kleijn, Wageningen University
Thijs P. M. Fijen, Wageningen University
Matthias Albrecht, Agroscope
Ignasi Bartomeus, Estacíon Biológica de Doñana
Rufus Isaacs, Michigan State University
Ai Wen, University of Northern Iowa
Claire Kremen, University of British Columbia
Ainhoa Magrach, Basque Centre for Climate Change
Lauren C. Ponisio, University of Oregon
Simon G. Potts, University of Reading
Jeroen Scheper, Wageningen University
Henrik G. Smith, Lund University
Teja Tscharntke, University of Göttingen
Jörg Albrecht, Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre
Jens Åström, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research
Isabelle Badenhausser, INRAE
András Báldi, HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research
Parthiba Basu, University of Calcutta
Åsa Berggren, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Nicole Beyer, University of Göttingen

Comments

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Document Type

Article

Journal/Book/Conference Title

Science

Volume

389

Issue

6767

First Page

1314

Last Page

1319

Abstract

Biodiversity in human-dominated landscapes is declining, but evidence-based conservation targets to guide international policies for such landscapes are lacking. We present a framework for informing habitat conservation policies based on the enhancement of habitat quantity and quality and define thresholds of habitat quantity at which it becomes effective to also prioritize habitat quality. We applied this framework to insect pollinators, an important part of agroecosystem biodiversity, by synthesizing 59 studies from 19 countries. Given low habitat quality, hoverflies had the lowest threshold at 6% semi-natural habitat cover, followed by solitary bees (16%), bumble bees (18%), and butterflies (37%). These figures represent minimum habitat thresholds in agricultural landscapes, but when habitat quantity is restricted, marked increases in quality are required to reach similar outcomes.

Department

Department of Biology

Original Publication Date

9-25-2025

DOI of published version

10.1126/science.adr2146

Recommended Citation

Bishop, Gabriella A.; Kleijn, David; Fijen, Thijs P. M.; Albrecht, Matthias; Bartomeus, Ignasi; Isaacs, Rufus; Wen, Ai; Kremen, Claire; Magrach, Ainhoa; Ponisio, Lauren C.; Potts, Simon G.; Scheper, Jeroen; Smith, Henrik G.; Tscharntke, Teja; Albrecht, Jörg; Åström, Jens; Badenhausser, Isabelle; Báldi, András; Basu, Parthiba; Berggren, Åsa; and Beyer, Nicole, "Critical Habitat Thresholds for Effective Pollinator Conservation in Agricultural Landscapes" (2025). Faculty Publications. 6869.
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/facpub/6869